Neutron

fission is limited, whereas fusion can theoretically release an unlimited amount of energy. Fusion is the same type of reaction that occurs on stars, thus obviously very powerful. Fusion occurs when two atoms are “fused” together and release a stray neutron. Thermonuclear bombs are much more powerful, and produce significantly greater amount of gamma…

element, an unstable element has a certain number of protons and neutrons that make up the nucleus. If an element is stable, there will be a proportionate amount of neutrons to protons, however, when it comes to unstable elements there is a disproportionate amount of neutrons to protons. As Iodine-131 is radioactive, when it breaks down a new element is created, Xenon-131. This occurs because Iodine-131 is unstable which then causes the neutrons to change into either protons and electrons,…

not normally occur naturally in nature. This type of reaction takes place when a large unstable isotope, usually Uranium, U-235, comes into contact with high speed neutrons. When they collide, fission takes place and in the process breaks down into smaller isotopes, high speed neutrons and a large amount of energy. These high speed neutrons strike more atoms which causes a fission trigger chain reaction that is self-sustaining. The energy created by fission is then used to heat water to steam…

Atoms, ions, and isotopes are everything you eat, breathe and see. They are everywhere and everything is made up of them. The first person that aided in the discovery of the atom was Democritus in 400 BC. He is the one that named the atom. The word atom comes from the Greek word atomos which means indivisible. Aristotle which was another flossier in at that same time disagreed with him. He believed that matter could be divide infinitely without changing its properties. At that time more people…

Atoms: They’re the smallest object that create the properties of an element. Comprised of the subatomic particles: electrons, protons and neutrons. For which the Nucleus contains the Protons and Neutrons, while electrons orbit around the nucleus. The atom is a fundamental piece of matter. Atoms are the building blocks of matter and matter builds up the Universe. A Valence Electron is an electron, which is a subatomic particle of an atom. Valence electrons are located in the outermost shell of…

Neutrinos are one of the most abundant particles in the universe second only to photons, yet they are one of the most elusive particles known to man. The neutrino is essentially a near massless subatomic particle possessing a neutral charge. Neutrinos scarcely interact with normal matter as a consequence of having a neutral charge and a mass of almost zero. There are three flavors of neutrinos: electron, tau, and muon; many neutrinos oscillate between these flavors. Neutrinos can be produced in…

Chapter Six: Completing the Table…with a Bang 1. What is the difference between a “dirty” bomb and a conventional nuclear bomb? (1 mark) The difference between a “dirty” bomb and a conventional nuclear bomb is that a nuclear bomb is designed to destroy organisms using heat and impact, while a dirty bomb is designed to kill with gamma radiation. Radiation from dirty bombs, besides burning through skin, also alters the DNA in bone marrows, which significantly weakens the body’s immune system, and…

their relative masses and charges (Bbc.co.uk 2015). Particle Relative Charge Relative Mass Proton +1 1 Neutron 0 1 Electron -1 2. Explain the meaning of the terms, ATOMIC NUMBER and MASS NUMBER of an atom in terms of sub atomic particles. The atomic number refers to the number of protons in an atom, the mass number refers to the number of protons plus the number of neutrons (Bbc.co.uk 2015). 3. A neutral atom contains the same number of protons and electrons. Briefly explain…

The Atomic Theory states that all matter is composed of discrete units called atoms. The Atomic Theory started in about 400 BCE with a scientist by the name of Democritus. Democritus proposed the idea of the existence of an ultimate particle. He called this particle atomos when he was describing it, because the particle was too small to cut. Next, we get to Leucippus. Leucippus was the man who founded atomism, which is a theoretical approach that states nature consists of two principles, which…

SLS43-14/7-8 Pre-Lab Questions: 1) An isotope is an atom with a different atomic weight due to changes in the number of neutrons in the nucleus. Some examples of isotopes are Protium, Deuterium, and Tritium, which are all Hydrogen atoms. Instead of the zero neutrons Hydrogen has in its Protium form, Deuterium and Tritium have two and three neutrons respectively. This change in neutron number and therefore atomic weight classify these atoms as isotopes of the element Hydrogen. An ion is an atom…